Improvement in spark-arresters for locomotives



w. mu. THORNTON. 2She'ets--Sheet1- 7 Spark-Arr-ester for Locomotives.

No.l66,04.0, o Patentedluly27,l875.

N, Ptrazs, PHflTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C,

ZSheetw-Sheet 2- I W "0K. THORNTON.

Spark-Arrostor for Locomotives.

No. 166,040, Patentedluly 21,1875.

' V v a N-PETERS. PHUTO-LIYHOGRAPHER. WASHINGYON, O 9

UNITED STATES PATEN roe.

WILLIAM MOK. THORNTON, OF ST. LOUIS,""MISSOURL IMPROVEMENT INSPARK=ARRESTERS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,040, dated July 27,1875; application iiled December 30, 1874.

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of the cone and its suspending bars or rods detached from thestack. Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the same. Fig. 3 is a verticalcentral section of the same applied to a stack, and as connected by apipe or pipes to the fire-box of a locomotive from the outside. Fig. 4is an elevation of the cone, and a longitudinal section of the stack andsmoke-box and boiler of a locomotive, showing the spark and cinderconducting pipes leading to the smoke or fire box; also, showing anetting around the cone. Fig. 5 is a top view of the stack, spark andcinder conducting pipe, and locomotive-boiler.

The nature of my invention consists in the inverted cone made of annularsections, and having a hood and a pipe, the whole connected together bya pendent rod. It also consists in certain details of construction, andcombinations of parts, as hereinafter described and specificallyclaimed.

A is an inverted cone formed with a semispherical hood, a, having anaperture across its top, and a short section of curved pipe, B, whichincloses said aperture, attached to it. It is also formed, below thehood, of tapering rings 0, of gradually-decreasing diameters, said ringsbeing arranged on a vertical rod, d, one within another on differenthorizontal planes, and fastened by means of a screw-thread on the rod.The inner surface of the rings should be beveled so as to deflect sparksand cinders toward the center of the hood, and the outer peripheryshould be vertical or parallel with the neck of the smokestack, so as tonot deflect the sparks against treme lower end of the cone is solid andtapering downward, and it is formed on, or attached to, the lower end ofthe rod. The rod is central and pendent from the semi-spherical hood.The rings of the cone are moved apart, so as to increase the size of thespaces 0 0 by turning them around on the rod. A. reverse movementdecreases the size of the spaces 0. The changes in the size of thespaces will be found necessary according to the amount of draft and thecharacter of fuel used, or the amount of exhaust steam which is foundnecessary to force the sparks and cinders into the receiver, or back tothe fire-box. By using annular sections a free passage of the sparks andcinders and exhaust steam through the cone is obtained, there being nocorners or angles for the sparks and other matters to lodge upon. Thecone A is suspended or supported in the head of the stack by means ofseveral small rods, E, which are of sufficient strength, and yet do notobstruct the draft. The hood may have a vertical flange at f, and tothis flange a short vertical cylinder of netting, D, may be attached, asshown, so as to aid in guiding the sparks through the spaces 0 of thecone, and protect the stack from wear. This is not absolutely necessary.For conducting the sparks into a closed receiver or back into thefire-box of the locomotive a curved pipe, B, with two lateral branches,B B, is passed through the stack F, and carried into the receiver orforward into the fire-box G, as shown in the drawings, and there be.

By the employment of my invention the use of a netting on top of thestack is dispensed with, and thus bythe peculiar construction of thecone, and its arrangement, a stack free from the obstructions to thedraft is obtained, and, besides this, a stack which will not be worn outby friction of sparks and cinders against its sides. The rings by beingadjustable can be set to admit just so much of the exhaust as may benecessary to carry or force the sparks and cinders through the cone andinto the fire-box.

What I claim isl. The inverted conical spark-catcher, con

sisting of the hood a, pipe B, and a downwardly-tapering portion formedof annular sections 1) b, which are of varyin g diam eters. and arefastened upon a pendent rod, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The annular sections b of varying diameters, and tapered on theirinner circumference, and fitted (by means of a screw-thread formed oneach of them, and a screw-thread formed on the pendent rod) to beadjusted nearer together or farther apart, in combination with the hooda and pipe B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The inverted conical spark-catcher, consisting of the hood a, pipe B,and annular sec- WILLIAM MOKELVY THORNTON.

Witnesses G. P. ELLERBE, FRANK HICKS.

